Tightening device especially for ski shoes



y 12, 5 A. SUSSMAN STEINBERG 3, ,3 2

TIGHTENING DEVICE ESPECIALLY FOR SKI SHOES Filed Nov. 6, 1962 2Sheets-Shet 1 IIVVEIVTQQ By JWMM y 1964 A. SUSSMAN STEINBERG 3, 92

TIGHTENING DEVICE ESPECIALLY FOR SKI SHOES Filed Nov. 6, 1962 I 2Sheets-Sheet 2 7 F/aa 49 llvvelvrole 404A 0mm fuss/1m Jri/wi/ec- A 1'mum-y United States Patent 3,132,392 TIGHTENING DEVICE ESPECIALLY FORSKI SHQES Adalberto Sussman Steinberg, Via Frassinetti 25, Milan, ItalyFiled Nov. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 235,798 Claims priority, application ItalyMar. 17, 1%2 11 Claims. (Cl. 24-70) .The present invention relates to astretch or tension tightening device which is especially suitable forrapidly and reliably closing shoes and shoe wares and in particular skishoes, said device being of the type having pairs of element mutuallyengaging each other, one element of each pair being fixed to a lappetportion of the shoe upper and the other element being fixed to theopposite lappet portion, one element of each pair consisting of at leasta hook, a button or the like and the other one of a linked stretchingsystem comprising a lever and a stretch or tension member connected toeach other by means of an elbow-like linked element forming with thestretch member an angle which is smaller than 90 so as to transform theangular movement of the actuation or control lever into a rectilinearsliding displacement of the stretch member, said sliding displacementoccurring parallelly' to the shoe upper surface. This stretchingmovement which takes place parallelly to the shoe uppers has theconsiderable advantage of preventing the arising of any force tending tolift the shoe uppers when the closing of the shoe takes place. It isthus possible to keep the two superposed shoe lappet portions adheringto the foot instep thereby avoiding the possibility of any successiveslackening.

The above mentioned linked stretching system may be advantageouslyimproved by interposing a resilient element which however does notdetract anything from the perfectness of the closing system which mustremain stable and reliable.

Furthermore a small roller which rotates freely about the shaftconnecting the lever with the stretch member may be provided in thecentral zone of the coupling, said roller coming as a first element intocontact with the guiding channel on the shoe uppers, thus transformingthe sliding friction into rolling friction.

The accompanying drawing diagrammatically shows, by way of example only,some embodiments of the stretch tightening device of the invention andnamely:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one pair element applied to one of theshoe upper lappet portion in opened position.

FIG. 2 is the side view of another embodiment in closed position.

FIG. 2a is a cross section taken along the line IIII of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment, wherein the twoelements are just about to get hooked together.

FIG. 5 is a side: view of the linked stretch system, the elbow-likelinked element of which has applied thereto the elastic element and thefree rotating roller.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the elbow-1ike linked element alone.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the elbow-like element which has appliedthereto the spring alone.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the elbow-like linked element which hasapplied thereto the free rotating roller alone.

The device of the FIGURES 14 consists of a pair of elements engagingeach other by hooking, one element thereof being formed by one or morehooks, buttons or dowels 10, 1G, 10*" applied to the lappet portion 11of the shoe uppers in an aligned row which is perpendicular to the endedge of said lappet portion, while the other element, that is the mostimportant one, consists of a linked system comprising a lever 1-2pivotally connected in 13 With two symmetrical extensions 14 projectingfrom a base plate 15 which is applied with its bottom part to the shoeuppers 16 by means of rivets 17 and which has two projecting edges 18imparting thereto a form as of a channel suited to serve as a guide forthe tension or stretch member 19 which is connected with the lever 12 bymeans of a link element 20, the ends of which are pivotally connected atone side, in 21, with the lever 12 and at the other side, in 22, withone end of the tension member 19 forming with the latter one an acuteangle which in any case is smaller than In the embodiment of FIG. 1 thestretch member 19 consists of a thin plate or strap of such a width asto.

be slidingly received within the channel of the base plate 15 andprovided with a series of openings 23, 23', 23" adapted to be engaged bya button or a hook applied on the other lappet portion of the shoeuppers.

When the stretch member 19 has a series of openings such as 23, 23, 23"formed therein it will be sufiicient that the other lappet portion ofthe uppers be provided with a single hook. However, it is still possibleto have on said lappet portion a plurality of aligned hooks.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the link device consisting of the lever 12pivotally connected in 13 with the base plate 15 is exactly the same asthe one in FIG. 1. The only difference resides in that the stretchmember is a U-shaped stirrup 19 instead of a thin plate or strap 19.Said' stirrup 19, which is well visible in FIG. 3, is intended to engageone of the hooks 10', 10" according to the amount of tension orstretching which is desired for tightening the shoe uppers.

FIG. 4 shows a modified form wherein the stretch member consists of athin plate 19" similar to plate 19 in FIG. 1 but exhibiting at its freeend an elongate opening 24 suited to be engaged by one of the buttoms It10', 10 provided on the lappet portion '11 of the shoe uppers.

In FIG. 1 the extension 14 supporting the pivot point 13 is situatedabout in the middle portion of the base plate '15 carrying the lever 12and serving as a guide for the stretch member 19; the length of thefront portion of said base plate 15 is therefore just about equal to thelength of the back portion.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2 the base plate 15 only consists of a backportion i.e. it extends from pivot 13 towards the side which is oppositewith respect to the lappet portion of the shoe uppers.

In each of the shown embodiments the stiffening of the uppers lappetportion is obtained by means of a counter plate 25 applied beneath theshoe uppers by means of the same rivets 17 serving to hit the base plate15 the lever 12 is mounted on. The same may be said for the other lappetportion 11 in which the counter plate 26 is connected to the uppers bymeans of the same rivets 27 that serve to fix the buttons 10, 10".

The operation of the tightening device of the invention is wellunderstandable from the drawing. Upon having put on the shoe the twolappet portions 16 and 11 are superposed in such a manner that thelappet portion 16 lies underneath the lappet portion 11, whereafter theend of the stretch member 19 or 19 or 19" is hooked to one of the hooksor buttons 10, 10, 10" by holding the lever 12 in lifted position. Thelever 12 is thereafter lowered thereby causing a sliding displacement ofthe stretch member 19, or 19, or 19 which forces the two lappet portions16 and 11 to get more superposed one on the other, thus causing thetightening of the shoe uppers around the foot instep.

When the lever 12 is completely lowered the pivot 21 of the link element20 will be lower than the pivot point 13 of the lever so that thetension, which the stretch member is subjected to, cooperates inmaintaining the lever 12 in lowered position thus preventing anyundesired opening thereof. In order that the person wearing the shoe beabsolutely sure of having completely lowered the lever 12 the slightcrowning of the sides 18 of the base plate cooperates with the sideportions 12 of the lever 12, which are re-entrant at their ends towardsthe inside, to provide for a snap or release movement at the back end ofthe lever 12 when this last one is in the completely lowered position.

In the improved embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6, the link elementcomprises two formk members 1 and 2 each provided with a square sectionhead 3 and 4 respectively, the branch projections of the fork membersbeing provided each with a hole adapted to receive the link pivots; thehead portion 3 is provided with the opening 5 slidingly receivingtherein the rod 20" formed in one piece with the elements 4 and 2; thehelicoidal spring 7 is freely disposed around said rod 20". This rod isprovided at its front end with a rivet-like head to permit the freesliding movement of the rod 20 in the opening 5, while preventing saidrod from sliding out through said opening. In the rest position ofspring 7, the rivet-like head of rod 20" rests against the base of headportion 3.

In view of the application of the second improvement 9. small roller 8of cylindrical form and annular cross section has been disposed withinthe two branches of the fork member 2, said roller 8 being mounted onthe pivot 9 which is inserted in the holes of the fork member 2, afurther fork like element 29 having been interposed between the roller 8and the fork member 2 to receive the end of the stretch member 19".

When the sole first modification is desired it is possible to proceed asin FIG. 7 wherein only the spring 7 is dis posed on the link element20", the coupling between the lever 12 and the stretch member being ahinge type coupling through pivot 9, the end of the stretch or tensionmember 19" being formed as a centrally bored cylinder 28 with the axisparallel to the pivot 9.

When only the second modification is desired, the embodiment is as shownin FIG. 8 wherein the intermediate link element 20 does not support anyresilient means, one end of element 20 hinged to the stretcher member 19being provided with a roller 8 mounted as shown in FIG. 6.

With reference to FIG. 5 it should be noted that during the closing ofthe tightening device the head portion 3 is pushed towards the other endelement 4, and the rod 20" slides within the opening 5 therebycompressing the spring 7 which absorbs the energy of the snap thatotherwise would occur in an abrupt way. A similar operation takes placeat the opening of the shoe and every time the two superposed lappetportions of the shoe uppers are stressed in opening direction, theresiliency of the spring being however so small as not to prejudice thereliability of the opening movement since said spring only serves toabsorb the excess stiffness of the locking as well as the famousstretching of the leather or skin, thereby consenting a greater backlashwith the whole system. At the same time, as the end of the stretch ortension member 19 slides within its guide, the contact between saidstretch member 19" and said link element 20" occurs along a generatingline of the rotating roller 8 which, by transforming the slidingfriction into rolling friction, facilities said sliding movement.

What is claimed is:

1. A tensioning tightening device especially suitable for quickly andreliably fastening lappet portions of shoes and particularly ski shoes,said device being of the type having pairs of mutually engagingelements, one of which is secured on one lappet portion, the otherelement being fixed to the opposite lappet portion, one of said elementsincluding connecting means while the other element comprises atensioning mechanism including an actuating lever pivotally mounted on afixed pivot supported on a channel-shaped base plate secured to thecorresponding lappet portion of the shoe, a tensioning member adapted toengage said connecting means fixed to the opposite lappet portion, andan intermediate link connecting one end of said tensioning member andpivotally connected to the portion of the actuating lever spaced fromsaid fixed pivot and cooperating with said actuating lever to form atoggle linkage, said tensioning member being guided within saidchannel-shaped base plate so that upon swinging said actuating lever,said tensioning member moves with a reciprocating rectilineal motiontowards and away from the opposite shoe lappet portion while lying inclose proximity to said lappet portions, said lappet portions beingtherefore free from any stress tending to lift them during tighteningand loosening operations.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the actuating lever is mountedon said channel-shaped base plate, the bottom portion of which is fixedto the corresponding lappet portion of the shoe and comprises two sidewe tensions adapted to receive a pivot for pivotally supporting saidlever, and the remaining portion of said channel-shaped base plateextending rearwardly from the free edge of the lappet portions of theshoe to form a U-shaped seat and guide portion for the reciprocatingtensioning member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tensioning membercomprises a thin plate having at its free end a row of aligned andspaced openings adapted to engage said connecting means mounted on theother lappet portion of the shoe.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tensioning member isconstituted by a U-shaped stirrup and wherein said connecting meanscomprises a row of spacedapart hook means mounted on the other lappetportion of the shoe.

5. A device according to claim 1 comprising stiffening counter platesfixed to the inner surface of the lappet portions of the shoe andextending to the outer edge thereof.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the channelshaped base platehas side extensions supporting the pivot of the actuating lever, saidside extensions having an outwardly crowned profile, and wherein theactuating lever has side extensions slightly bent inwardly to fitexactly the crowned side extensions of the channel-shaped base plate toindicate that the actuating lever is completely lowered whereby anyfurther movement of the mechanism is prevented when said actuating leveris in a closed position.

7. A device according to claim 1 and comprising a resilient membermounted on said tensioning mechanism to prevent the give of the leatherand to absorb the locking stiffness of said device.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein said intermediate link is acompression strut.

9. A device according to claim 7 wherein said resilient member is ahelicoidal spring slidably mounted on said intermediate link, saidhelicoidal spring being under compression during the closing and theopening of the tightening device to absorb any sudden tension in saidtightening device.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said intermediate linkcomprises two fork end members interconnected by a center rod adapted toreceive said helicoidal spring, said spring being slidably mountedbetween said fork end members, one end of said center rod being slidablymounted in one of said fork end members.

11. A device according to claim 10 comprising a roller rotatably mountedon the fork end member of the intermediate link connected to saidtensioning member and adapted to engage the guide portion of thechannel-shaped base plate slidably receiving said tensioning member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS LoderOct. 4, 1887 Leavitt May 23, 1899 Christman Sept. 21, 1911 Sussman June13, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Aug. 7, 1895 Switzerland Jan. 2, 1926

1. A TENSIONING TIGHTENING DEVICE ESPECIALLY SUITABLE FOR QUICKLY ANDRELIABLY FASTENING LAPPET PORTIONS OF SHOES AND PARTICULARLY SKI SHOES,SAID DEVICE BEING OF THE TYPE HAVING PAIRS OF MUTUALLY ENGAGINGELEMENTS, ONE OF WHICH IS SECURED ON ONE LAPPET PORTION, THE OTHERELEMENT BEING FIXED TO THE OPPOSITE LAPPET PORTION, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTSINCLUDING CONNECTING MEANS WHILE THE OTHER ELEMENT COMPRISES ATENSIONING MECHANISM INCLUDING AN ACTUATING LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON AFIXED PIVOT SUPPORTED ON A CHANNEL-SHAPED BASE PLATE SECURED TO THECORRESPONDING LAPPET PORTION OF THE SHOE, A TENSIONING MEMBER ADAPTED TOENGAGE SAID CONNECTING MEANS FIXED TO THE OPPOSITE LAPPET PORTION, ANDAN INTERMEDIATE LINK CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID TENSIONING MEMBER ANDPIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE PORTION OF THE ACTUATING LEVER SPACED FROMSAID FIXED PIVOT AND COOPERATING WITH SAID ACTUATING LEVER TO FORM ATOGGLE LINKAGE, SAID TENSIONING MEMBER BEING GUIDED WITHIN SAIDCHANNEL-SHAPED BASE PLATE SO THAT UPON SWINGING SAID ACTUATING LEVER,SAID TENSIONING MEMBER MOVES WITH A RECIPROCATING RECTILINEAL MOTIONTOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE OPPOSITE SHOE LAPPET PORTION WHILE LYING INCLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID LAPPET PORTIONS, SAID LAPPET PORTIONS BEINGTHEREFORE FREE FROM ANY STRESS TENDING TO LIFT THEM DURING TIGHTENINGAND LOOSENING OPERATIONS.